Body of skydiver found in Gloucester County

Officials investigate the scene where the body of a skydiver was found in a field off of Glassboro Cross Keys Road, near Appletree Lane, in Monroe Township.Staff photo by Lori M. Nichols/South Jersey Times

MONROE TWP. — Police are reporting that the body of a skydiver was found 300 feet off of Glassboro-Cross Keys Road near Cross Keys Airport in Williamstown.

The airport is located on Dahlia Avenue in Williamstown, part of Monroe Township in Gloucester County. The body was discovered by a N.J. State Police helicopter around 5 p.m., according to authorities. Initial reports said the incident occurred around 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

According to police, the skydiver — who has not been identified by authorities — was jumping at Freefall Adventures, which is based at Cross Keys Airport. The skydiver then went missing.

• September 2006 -- A tandem parachute instructor and his 28-year-old student were killed when their main and reserve parachutes failed to properly deploy

• July 2005 -- Two experienced skydivers were killed when their parachutes collided as they were practicing a high-performance synchronized landing

• September 2004 -- An experienced skydiver was killed when he lost track of altitude and failed to deploy his parachute before striking the ground

Monroe Township Police Chief Joe Smart confirmed the body of the skydiver had been found. A member of Freefall Adventures said shortly after 6 p.m. that the person was a licensed skydiver but was not associated with their group.

Smart said the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office and Federal Aviation Administration were investigating.

A representative from the FAA did not have information about the incident when reached for comment, but said that they typically will investigate whether the parachute was packed correctly.

The Prosecutor's Office did not immediately return a request for comment.

Two parachutists at Freefall Adventures died in 2011, according to previous reports. The mayor of Rutledge, a Pennsylvania town in Delaware County died in March when his parachute failed to open. In March 2012, a Philadelphia man was rescued from a tree near the airport after his parachute became entangled.

In 2010, the United States Parachute Association recorded 21 fatal skydiving accidents in the U.S. — a decrease from the 1970s when the average was reported to be 42.5 fatalities per year, according to the association's website.